Rhythm
by Poecile
Summary: He has never noticed her before—that short blonde girl with the oversized headphones. She's dressed like she doesn't want to stand out, but the pins on her backpack and the loud music from her headphones are proofs of her desire for freedom, And Tobias find himself intrigued. [Extended Two-Shot of #12. Rhythm from 100 Words][AU]
1. Part 1

AN: I really like the word 'Rhythm' for some reason. Maybe that's why I chose to extend this one among my other drabbles. I don't believe in love at first sight but I do think that attraction and the initial connection between two people can be quite interesting, and it's fun to write these types of scenes.

Disclaimer: I don't own the Divergent series or any of its characters.

* * *

**Rhythm: Part 1**

- Tobias -

The bus doors open with a soft whoosh and I step inside. I nod at Amar, the bus driver, as I swipe my bus card on the fare machine.

"Why the long face? Tough day?" He asks.

"Something like that," I answer as I put the card back into a slot on my backpack.

The seats are all occupied so I stand in the aisle between them, holding onto the bus pole for support. The air is hot and humid, mixed with the awful smell of sweat and spoiled orange juice.

I put my headphones on and turn the music on from my phone, choosing a playlist of spunky fast-paced instrumentals. After long classes of engineering jargon and a phone call from my estranged mother, I'm in no mood for anything else. I prefer instrumental tracks where I can pick out the firm beat of the drums, the low pitches of the bass, and the gritty strumming of the guitar without the distraction of lyrics. I can disassemble the parts, like pieces of a computer, then put them back together—a process that leaves me with no room for wandering thoughts. I fully lose myself to the music.

The ride is thirty minutes long, and the bus stops frequently. Each time, more people enter and less people leave, and the air inside the bus only gets thicker as the space gets thinner.

I watch the scenery pass by. The city is painted an orange hue by the sunset. Unconsciously, my head bobs to the music from my headphones, the rhythm matching the beating of my heart. As the buildings close to my apartment start to zoom by, I check the display at the front of the bus – my stop is next.

I turn off the music and take my headphones off, but I'm a bit baffled when the track I was listening to continues to play. It takes a few seconds before I realize where it's coming from.

I glance at the girl beside me, not remembering when she got there or the fact that she was there at all. Her hand is inches away from mine on the aisle pole we share and she's staring blankly out the window, likely lost in the music or in the thoughts that usually accompany boring bus rides. Her blonde hair is tied in a messy ponytail and it bounces lightly as she nods to the blaring music from her headphones—a continuation of what I was just listening to.

The same music, and the same rhythm.

For some reason, I find myself staring at her. She's in an oversized T-shirt, dark grey leggings, and a pair of worn out sneakers. Her bag is black and covered with several decorative pins. I notice that one of them contains a university emblem—the same university I go to. She's dressed plainly and in dark colours, as if she doesn't want to stand out.

Well, she didn't to me, until now. It's not just because she's listening to the same music I was listening to seconds ago, but because she's small and wearing these oversized black headphones that make her look kind of dorky and surprisingly, kind of cute. She's dressed like she doesn't want to stand out, but the few pins on her backpack and the loud music from her headphones are proofs of her desire for freedom. And I find myself intrigued.

Suddenly, she turns. Not to me, no. She turns to the front of the bus, looking briefly at the display just as the bus stops. Her hand lets go of the pole and it grazes mine. Or at least, I think it did. The touch was so light, maybe I imagined it. I watch as she squeezes through the crowd and leaves, leaving me with a bitter pang of disappointment; I just noticed her and she's already gone. I refocus myself to the scenery outside the bus window, but a voice booms through the bus.

"Hey kid, aren't you getting off here?"

The bus driver is smirking at me through the giant rear-view mirror upfront. Other passengers begin to notice the cause of the delay and start to give me odd looks as well. Then, it hits me.

This is my stop.

I hurriedly push past the crowd, mumbling "excuse me" several times along the way.

"Thanks," I say to Amar when I get to the front. He ignores my gratitude and continues to wear that stupid smirk on his face.

"She's cute, huh?"

I don't answer him but quickly get off the bus, not wanting to delay the other passengers any further. And I guess because I'm embarrassed but at least Amar said it quietly. Hopefully, no one else heard. I wave to him as the bus drives off.

As I'm about to leave, I notice the girl from before. She's walking in the opposite direction I need to go.

I've never been one for socializing and talking to random strangers but… I want to talk to her. Still, I find myself rooted to the spot, hesitating. What would I say though?

I sigh and stand there, thinking about how pathetic I am and then, something strange happens.

One of the pins on her backpack falls off, gleaming in the light of the sunset and hitting the sidewalk with a soft clink. I wait for her to pick it up, but she doesn't. Unlike me, she's wearing her headphones and she didn't hear the pin drop.

I walk over and pick it up. It has a music note with a face on it and I laugh at the ridiculous image, but more so, at the ridiculous situation I'm in because now, I _have_ to talk to her.

"Hey!" I yell. She's already several meters away and she doesn't hear me, no thanks to those oversized headphones of hers. I jog up to her and lightly tap her on the shoulder.

The girl turns around and for the first time, I notice her grey-blue eyes as she stares at me, confused and alarmed.

* * *

Sorry, my fics are so wordy. I've noticed that many people here tend to avoid fics with long paragraphs (or maybe they just avoid mine). I can see these scenes inside my head and I feel the need to describe it all in detail. This is basically 1000 words of how Tobias got on the bus, checked Tris out, got off the bus, and approached her. There. Could've written it in one sentence.

The next part is already done. I'll post it on a good day. (:


	2. Part 2

AN: Thanks for all the reviews, favs, and follows! I'm pretty surprised about reaching double digits in reviews and follows with just one part. I try to tell myself not to worry about stuff like that but it still kind of made my day. Thank you sooo much! :D

DivergentHeart4 – Unfortunately, even with Part 2, there's not much of a plot going on. I guess you can say the whole thing is just a single snapshot of their relationship—of the moment they meet.

This is the second and final part of the two-shot, just in case you didn't read the summary.

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**Rhythm: Part 2**

- Tris -

I enter the bus and swipe my bus card on the fare machine, smiling briefly at the familiar bus driver. There is an unpleasant smell of sweat and something sour in the air and I try to resist the urge to wrinkle my nose. I walk to the end of the aisle and hold on to the aisle pole as the bus begins to move again. After adjusting my headphones, I zone out to the music and the scenery outside the window.

But I know I'm standing next to him—the same guy I stood next to on Monday, and last Wednesday, and the Thursday before that. Occasionally, I see him on the bus and I always end up standing next to him. It's not as if I choose to. He just happens to be at the end of the aisle, maybe he gets on at the previous stop, or he prefers to stand so other people can sit. Either way, I find myself standing next to him every time I see him on the bus. I've noticed we get off at the same stop too.

I wonder if he recognizes me, or if he's noticed me at all. Maybe not. I'm not exactly one to catch other people's attention and really, I'm glad I'm not.

And it's not like I want him to notice me. The only reason I noticed him is because he's tall, I guess. He's tall with short dark brown hair and a slightly hooked nose. To be honest, he's good-looking but that's not why I noticed him. I noticed him because he's wearing a model of headphones I've been wanting.

He's also wearing a backpack and I wonder if he's a student like me. The stop before mine is on the university campus as well. Is that where he gets on the bus?

The song in my headphone changes and it pulls me out of my thoughts. I try to focus on that instead, because it makes a lot more sense than thinking about a stranger who's standing beside me.

The new song is an instrumental track that I recently found online. It's composed of a catchy beat and a complicated mix of both electronic and acoustic strumming along with other sounds. I let myself drown in the rhythm of the track as I stare out the window and let the beat of the music pulse through me.

The bus begins to near my stop. I turn and squint briefly at the display at the front of the bus by habit, double checking I'm at the right place even though I know I am. When the bus stops, I make my way towards the exit. For once, I'm grateful for my small stature because I can easily squeeze through the crowd without disturbing anyone.

I get to the front and say, "Thank you," to the bus driver, but he doesn't acknowledge me. He's smiling at the rear-view mirror, though I'm not sure why. Regardless, I get off and start walking home.

The evening air is slightly cool—much more comfortable than the stuffy interior of the bus. I take a deep breath and let the coolness fill my lungs as a breeze passes by. The sun is just setting and I love the way it creates a gradient of orange, pink, and purple in the sky.

A tap on my shoulder startles me and I turn around.

It's the guy from the bus. _That_ guy.

I quickly pause my music and pull down my headphones, looking at him expectantly.

"Uh, you dropped this." He opens his palm to reveal one of the pins from my backpack.

"Oh. Thanks…" I take it from him, careful not to touch his hand.

"You're welcome," he says. His voice is deep and husky, not exactly what I imagined him to sound like.

Not that I was imagining what he would sound like…

He continues to stand there, staring at the ground and looking unsure of himself. I stand there too, biting on my lower lip, and I don't understand why I start to feel lightheaded and a bit giddy.

"I'm Tris," I blurt out.

"Tobias," he answers back with a smile. His usual dark blue eyes look lighter in the setting sunlight.

I nod, fiddling with the pin in my hand.

"I was actually, uh…" He trails off and I watch as he takes out his phone. A few seconds later, music starts playing through the headphones around his neck and I can hear it's the same instrumental track I was listening to on the bus.

The same music, and the same rhythm.

I can't help but smile at that. "You have good taste in music," I quip.

He laughs as he turns it off. "So do you."

Another silence settles in, slightly less awkward than the last but awkward nonetheless. I stare at my shoes and try to think of something else to say.

"Do you live around here?" I ask.

"Hm?"

"Um, well, you always get off here too, so…"

"You recognize me?" He looks surprised, and I take it as a sign that _he_ doesn't recognize _me_.

"Yeah, sort of… from, the bus," I stutter.

His lips pull into a smile; he has a spare upper lip and a full lower lip. I blush.

"I like your headphones."

"Thanks," he says with a laugh.

I turn my backpack over and clip the pin back in its place, an action to divert myself from the embarrassment I'm feeling.

"Do you like ice cream, Tris?"

I look at him, confused at the random question.

Tobias points at the ice cream parlor across the street, a boyish grin on his face.

"Who doesn't like ice cream?" I shrug.

"Good, because I like ice cream. And you owe me." I raise an eyebrow and he continues, "I returned your pin."

"Oh, Okay… I guess, my treat then?"

"I'll treat you."

"But, you just said I owe you."

"Well, you can treat me next time then," he says casually and begins making his way to the crosswalk.

I follow him as his words repeat in my head. _Next time_.

We get to the intersection and wait for the lights to cross, standing side by side like the way we stood on the bus. I should probably feel nervous about hanging out with a guy I just met on my way home, but all I feel is giddiness and I can't seem to erase the crazy smile on my face. I steal a glance at him and notice I'm not the only one.

The pedestrian light changes and we walk towards the ice cream parlor, our footsteps adjusting to a common rhythm.

* * *

AN: I really like the original drabble. It's short and simple but able to give off the vibe I wanted. Hence, I wasn't too sure about this when I first started writing it, but I think it turned out alright, just longer than I expected.

Crediting my muse:

The pin (on the cover) is from an old video game called _The World Ends with You _(it's not that old, just 6-7 years...). 'Rhythm' reminded me of that game because I incorrectly remembered one of the character's name, Rhyme, as Rhythm, and because the main character is always wearing a pair of headphones. Pins are used as weapons in the game (yeah, it sounds silly but just believe me). Since my mind likes to mix universes together and Tobias needed a little push to approach Tris, the pin became my plot convenience device. I was also listening through some of the instrumental tracks of the game as I wrote this (particularly the instrumental mix of 'Twister' and 'Calling'). It's honestly not something I would listen to on a bus, but hey, whatever.

Anyway, thanks for reading! (:

[To M the guest reviewer, I have honestly never heard of _Eleanor and Park_ before, so whatever similarities there are between this fic and that novel are purely coincidental. Honestly. I'm kind of surprised something I wrote bare resemblance to a published novel that seems to have pretty great reception. Thanks for letting me know though. Maybe I'll add it to my to-read list. (: ]


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